How HHS Became a Government Propaganda Machine

In an arrogant and somewhat bizarre display of disinformation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is feeding local news sources with “new reports” about health insurance “reform.”

Local stories have started appearing, citing new reports from HHS. A story out of northwest Indiana, for example, cites “… a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” Given the Senate vote last Saturday, HHS clearly wants to create the impression that good news is just around the corner as a result of the legislation itself.

The credibility problem for HHS is that “the reports” are not based on the actual legislation. “The reports” consist of recycled data released last May before legislation was even introduced and subsequently released in a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute, The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform: Implications for States. HHS has merely extracted data provided by Urban for each state and repackaged it for local consumption.

The dire views of analysts at liberal think tanks on the rising cost of health care without reform, of course, are incomplete: the higher costs are indeed made even worse by the massive legislation before the Congress. Total health care spending will be higher according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a branch of HHS which has the power to issue independent reports. The legislation does not lower costs, it merely shifts costs around to different sources of payment. Preventive care for seniors is not “free” as HHS alleges. Someone has to pay for it.

Moreover, the legislation will actually turn out worse for the states than under the status quo. For example, Urban predicts that without reform, “… spending on public programs will balloon …” and “… every state would see its Medicaid/CHIP spending rise …”. Well, well. But, of course, the actual legislation forces states to increase their Medicaid/SCHIP spending more than under current law. Under the House version, figures provided by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) show that state spending for Medicaid/SCHIP will increase 157 percent between 2010 and 2019.

The American people do want and expect real reform. They are right. And that is why Congress should press the rest button, and start over.

Join The Discussion

So that's what it feels like to have government usurped by radicals! Gosh! They use public money for their private (and unrepresentative) political ends. Might as well have HHS gargling in the choir along with all the other Bought Media.

As we all talk about "REFORM" in teediam. The last 40 years of nationalizing teachers, auto, hospital, and local and federal government groups has lead to a dictatorial government by which we are under control now to support. Free will? Our adult children may not even know what the word "REFORM" means let alone the words "HHS takover".

Why hasn't any past "REFORMS" been able to stop any neo-comm(liberalism), corperatism, and progessive religion that has been incorporated into our laws. Personally I can'nt see the word "democracy" in any party anymore even though my family are all democrates and I was always conservative.

We are told, by the big tent party, to keep our religion out of politics as they have incorporated their idealog into the education, tax, and governing system that we are forced to live under. A religion I do not believe in. Where did the 10 Commandments in the class room go?

Where is our class action law suite to remove liberal, progressive, religion out of the public, judicial system and laws? It worked for them to take any factual history of "Real WHy" and scripture references out of the information our children learn about out forefathers actions.

When goverment takes 20yr approval of nuclier energy plants, calls fascism competition, says toxic lighting or batteries as green, and demands 7 day voting as good democracy, to name a few as an engineer. What have we taught our children?

My grandparents fleed from Italy and taught me of the government "well meaning" take over and later about the dispicable nature of man. They fleed here to the USA and freedom. Where will a USA be for us to flee?

I am unable to talk of real "REFORM" anymore as It seems like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I can only pray that it comes sooner than later so our children can learn anew…

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